How to Freeze Apples

If you want to freeze your apples for later use, there’s a super easy way to do this. Apples are usually peeled, sliced, and cored before being frozen and preserved with lemon juice, brine, or a fruit preservative. Store your apples in a freezer-safe container, and you’ll see apple slices retain their flavor for up to a year.

Table of Contents

Peel and slice apples

Wash the apples under clean running water. Turn on the faucet and place the apples under the stream of water, gently wash them with your hands to remove dirt on the apple skins. Wipe the apples with a paper towel or clean towel after washing.

Remember to peel off the sticker on the apple as well.

Peel apples with a vegetable peeler. Be careful when using a vegetable peeler. Starting at the stem, peel slowly around the apple. Peel the whole apple to prepare to cut into slices. Do the same for all the apples that you want to freeze. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If you don’t have a vegetable peeler, you can use a grater.

Use a sharp knife to cut off the core of the apple. Cut the apple in quarters lengthwise from the stem down. Carefully cut off the core of each apple with a knife so that no apple seeds are left. ^{[2] X Research Source}

You should use a cutting board to cut the apple core easily.

Cut the apple pieces into smaller pieces to freeze. Cut as many slices as you like, but each apple cut into 8-12 slices is fine. You can use a specialized apple knife (with the function of removing the core of the apple) or use a knife to cut the apple into slices. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Place the apple slices on a cutting board when slicing.
Cut apples into thin slices for apple pie or cubes for smoothies.

Preserving apples

Store apples immediately after peeling and slicing. This is to prevent the apple from darkening too quickly. You can choose to preserve apples with lemon juice, soak them in brine or use fruit preservatives.

Use lemon juice to keep apples from darkening. Mix 4 cups (950 ml) of water with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of lemon juice in a bowl, stirring with a spoon. Drop the apple slices into the bowl and soak for about 5 minutes. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Make sure the apple slices are submerged in the lemon juice solution.
Apple flavor will not be affected much when soaked in lemon juice.
Ascorbic acid in lemon juice will help prevent apples from darkening.

Soak apples in salted water to keep them fresh. Pour 4 cups (950 ml) of warm or cold water into a bowl along with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of salt. Stir to dissolve the salt and drop in the apple slices. Soak apples in salted water for a few minutes before removing.

Soak apple slices in salted water to ensure the freshness of the apples.
Salt acts as a preservative, helping to extend the shelf life of apples without losing quality or freezing.
Apples can be a bit salty after thawing. You can wash apples under running water to reduce the salty taste.

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Sprinkle fruit preserves over the apple slices to make sure they’re well preserved. Buy a fruit preservative at the grocery store and follow the directions on the package. This product usually comes in powder form; Apply a thin even layer on both sides of each apple slice. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Fruit preservatives do not change the taste of apples.

Frozen apples

Place the apples in a basket to filter out the water if you are soaking the apples. If the apple slices are soaked in liquid for a few minutes, pour the bowl of apples into the basket to filter out the liquid. Gently shake the basket to drain. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Do not rinse the apples again after they have been treated so as not to wash away the lemon juice, brine or preservatives.

Spread apple slices on a baking tray. Line a baking tray with parchment paper so the apples don’t stick to the tray. Lay each apple slice flat on the parchment paper and evenly spaced. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

It is important that the apple slices do not touch each other on the baking sheet so that they do not stick together when frozen.

Place the baking tray in the freezer for 1-3 hours. Make sure the baking tray is flat in the freezer so the apple slices don’t move. Leave the apples in the freezer for at least 1 hour if the apples are sliced very thin, or 3 hours if the apples are cut thicker. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Freeze the apple slices apart so they don’t stick together when you put them in the freezer storage bag.

Remove the apples from the tray and put them in an airtight container. Once the apple slices have been individually frozen, place them in a freezer-safe plastic bag or hard plastic container. Be sure to remove all the air from the bag or box to prevent freezing. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Date the package before putting it in the freezer with information like “Apple Sliced” to remember what it is.
Use your hands or a spatula to scoop out the apple slices on the parchment paper.

Store apples in the freezer for up to a year. Sliced apples in sealed containers and in the freezer can last for months to a year. You should use apples before the apple slices start to freeze to preserve the best flavor. ^{[10] X Research Source}

To defrost apples, you can leave them unopened in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or in a bowl of water for up to 1 hour.
If you only need to use a portion of apples, you should remove enough apples from the freezer to avoid thawing and re-freezing.

Advice

Avoid freezing apples that are heavily bruised or have damaged parts.
The texture and flavor of apples will change when frozen, but the ability to retain flavor of apples is not the same. Sweet apple varieties like Fuji and Gala retain their flavor better than sour apples, and apple pie varieties like Gpden Delicious and Granny Smith retain their texture better than powdered apples like Red Delicious.
Frozen apples are the perfect ingredient for smoothies, apple pie or muffins.

Things you need

Vegetable peeler or paring knife
Sharp knife
Baking tray
Stencils
Chopping board
Big spoon
Big bowl
Flat trowel (optional)
Lemon juice (optional)
Salt (optional)
Fruit preservative (optional)
Plastic bags or freezer-safe plastic containers

Steps

Peel and slice apples

Preserving apples

Frozen apples

Advice

Things you need

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